Feed water heater



Feb. 12, 1935. c MILLER 1,990,914

FEED WATER HEATER Orig inal FiledSept. 26, 1931 INVENTOR OVA/F455 I 'MMLc'R. I

BY @WK ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED srA'rss FEED WATER HEATER Charles J. Miller, South Nyack, N. Y., assignor to The Superheater Company, New York, N. Y. 1

Substitute for application Serial No. 565,268, September 26, 1931.

This application January 6,

1934, Serial No. 705,510

2 Claims.

The presentinvention is generally concerned includes a check valve, interconnects theheater and tender. If the back pressure in the heater is below a predetermined value the check valve remains closed and prevents any condensate from returning to the tender. Accordingly, an auxiliary device generally known in the art as a condensate return tank having suitable controlling mechanism is employed to open the valve with 29 the aid of compressed air acting on the surface of the water in the condensate return tank, provided the back pressure in the'heater is inadequate to force the condensate through the valve for delivery into the tender tank.

Where the back pressure in the heater is above a predetermined value, the check valve is open and the condensate from the heater, by reason of this back pressure, would be delivered into the tender tank without bringing into action 30 the pneumatically operated mechanism of the condensate return tank.

My feed water system in accordance with the present invention is a simplification of the systems heretofore employed in that a condensate return tank and its equipment are eliminated and the condensate from the heater is returned to the tender by an injector disposed in the r turn connection between the heater and the tender. With the previous systems, the condensate from the heater was returned to the tender by power from some other source other than the boiler feed pump and accordingly it is an object of the invention to utilize the power from the boiler feed pump to deliver the condensate to the tender without employing a condensate return tank and its controlled mechanism.

In another aspect, the invention has for a further object the provision of an improved feed water system of the character referred to in which 50 the heater may be arranged on a low deck of the locomotive and disposed below the level of the water in the boiler and tender.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 discloses schematically my impr ved feed water system.

r Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a system sub- 5 stantially identical with that of Fig. 1 except as to avalve appearing in each figure.

In carrying the invention into effect, the feed water heating system comprises a feed water pump A which draws water from the tender T and forces it into the delivery conduit B past a weighted checkvalve C and into the heat exchange element D,-the water being out'of contact with the exhaust steam from the engine cylinders (not shown) or the pump A. The exhaust steam is" admitted into the closed feed water heater E, c'ontaining elements D, thru inlets, one of which appears at F, suitably connected to heater E. The check valve C is weighted to approximately 5 lbs. pressure and is designed to prevent the head of water from the tender tank flooding the heater in the event of leakage through the pump, and this valve will only pass water thru elements D when under fluid pressure from pump A. 25

The water circulating in the heat exchange element D is raised in temperature by the exhaust steam and is directed thru conduit G to the locomotive boiler I-I.

The exhaust steam is condensed in contacting with the heat exchange elementD and the condensate formed is delivered by gravity to the collector tank J through the condensate line K.

In open communication with the water delivery conduit B is the pipe L which terminates in an open contracted portion M forming a water inlet for the ejector pump, broadly denoted N.

Connecting the lowest part of the collector tank J and the ejector N iscondensate inlet pipe P which includes a valve Q for admitting the con- 40 densate from the collector tank J into the ejector pump N. Whenever valve Q is open the water under pressure from the pipe L on its way into the flared portion or outlet R carries the condensate from pipe P with it into the return pipe S for delivery into the t'endertank T. When closed, valve Q prevents water from tender tank T from backing up into the casing of heater E. The tank J, however, permits condensate formed in heater E to flow therefrom when valve Q is 50 closed so as to prevent flooding and chilling of the heater E when pump A is not running. The heater E can therefore deliver hot water as soon as pump A starts up. Valve Q, of course, can be operated by any one of various known means, the

'ter lever (indicated by dotted lines) of the tender.

The condensate from the heater and water from the tender under pressure by the operation of the pump are intermingled within the ejector casing, and consequently, the water returned to the tender is increased in temperature; a

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2- differsfrom that of Fig. l in that Fig. 2 has anautomatic valve Qa instead of the hand operated: valve Q of Fig.

1. As shown, valve Qa is a check valve operating to pass liquid inthe direction from tank J to ejector pump N as indicated by the arrow alongside such valve Qa. ;For this purpose, pipe Po has a-horizontal portion to permit using a check valve of therordinary globe type; v

The foregoing disclosure has been given by way of example for purposes of illustration, and to bring out the underlying principles of1myinve ntion. Hence no unnecessary limitations should be understood and the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the state of. the art perapplication is a substitute for prior application, Ser. No. 565,268, filed Septemberfifi;

193l,'for Feed 'water heaters.

What I claim is: I V 1. In a feed water system, the combination with a. tender and feed water heater of the type in which steam is condensed out of contact with water, a conduit connecting the tender and heater,

a pump disposed in the conduit for delivering water from the tender into the heater, the latter including, means foradmitting steam to heat the water circulating therethrough, a condensate return line, an ejector, a collector tank below the level ,of said heater andrin communication with said line and ejector to admit condensate from said heater into said ejector, valve means intermediate said' tank and said ejector, a pipe connecting the conduit and ejector to supply feed water-to the latter under super-atmospheric pressure: wherein said last mentioned water and condensate are commingled, and means for di rectingthe water commingled with said condensate back into the tender, 21 In an apparatusv of the classdescribed" in combinati'oma. collecting chamber for condensate liquid, an ejector having a source of pressure liquid and a dischargee for the mixture'of such-liquid withtheliquid pumped there-by, a tank into which said dischargedelivers and which may at times have a liquid. level 'thereinhigher than said chamber; a pipe connection from said collecting chamber to said ejector, and a check valve in said. pipe arranged to permit flow from said chamber to said injector but to: prevent return flow from the ejector to said: chamber.

CHARLES J. MILLER. 

